(1b) was the Word
Verse 1 is a beautiful articulation of the relationship between the Father and the Son, Jesus. John is the only writer that names Jesus as the Word, and we see this title appear also in 1John 5:7-8 and Revelation 19:13. The sentence structure, especially in the Greek, shows the Oneness between God the Father, and God the Son. If you remember, while Jesus was on this earth he said,

                   ​I believe this is how they created the universe. The Father made the plan for His family and spoke the words of creation, placing the all, τὰ πάντα, in Christ, flowing through Jesus into manifestation. Jesus doesn’t do anything except as He sees the Father do, the same is true in the beginning at the creation, (Jn 1:3, Col 1:16-17). The all, τὰ πάντα, of existence, including all of mankind, was created through Jesus, according to the good pleasure and will of the Father, pre-deposited and held safe in Jesus for those who might believe in Him. It was in Christ in Whom he placed the exceeding riches of His glory and grace for all those who would accept His Son and believe in Him, (Eph 1:5-10, Jn 1:12).
                  Therefore, in the beginning was the Word. The Greek is ἦν ὁ λόγος. The English word “was” doesn’t give us the full meaning of the Greek word ἦν. This Greek word, in the lemma form, is εἰμί, it means “to be”. ἦν is in the imperfect tense, portraying not only something done in the past, but is still continuing on with no assessment of stopping. This reminds me of the name of God, The Great I AM, which literally means, He has always been, He is, and He will always be in the future (Rev 1:8). This is the sense the word ἦν is implying. He was the Word, He is the Word, and will always be the Word in the future.
                  Now, notice the word structure which takes place in verse 1, of which I want to point out the use of the definitive article, the English word “the”. In Greek, the name of a person, most of the time, is preceded with the article. So, the name of Jesus is ὁ Ἰησοῦς, the Jesus.  The ὁ is the article. In English we don’t pronounce the article in front of someone’s name, but in Greek it helps define and clarify the grammar. In verse 1, we see the article in front of the Word, ὁ λόγος, telling us that the Word is a person, and we also see the article in front of God, τὸν Θεόν, describing the Father, (τὸν is the same as ὁ, it is the accusative case of the article). Anytime I see the article in front of θεός, the Greek word for God, I translate it “the Father”. So, let’s see what this first verse is saying.
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(1c)and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
            John is making a statement, showing the relationship between the Father and Jesus. In this beautifully articulated verse, we have one of the most compact theological statements in the Bible. The word structure in the Greek tells us Jesus has all the attributes of the Father, but He is not the Father, He is His own person. Allow me to break this down for you. There are two significant word arrangements I want to point out. We already discussed the significance of the definite article above. This distinguishes between the person God, who is the Father, and the title of God. Word order is the second. Word order in English is a vital part of translation and meaning, but in Greek, it doesn’t really make a difference in translation, however word order mainly focuses on emphasis. Below is the statement, “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”, how it was originally written in Greek.

​καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος

​                  A literal translation in English is, “and the Word was with the God, and God was the Word.” Notice the use of the definite article in front of the first use of the word God, τὸν Θεόν, this is specifically describing the Father, however the next word for God does not use the article and places God in front of ὁ λόγος, whereas the English translates it after, saying the Word was God, but the Greek says, God was the Word. The King James translation says, “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”, but the Greek places God in front of “the Word”, saying God was the Word.
                  This structure is vital to our theology. If this were written any other way, we would have a very different way we view the relationship between the Father and Jesus. For example: the lack of the second article is what separates the Father from Jesus. The Bible is telling us that the Father and Jesus are two separate beings, but share the same divine attributes. If the second article was in place, it would be translated, “and the Word was with the Father, and the Father was the Word”, making the Father equal to the Word instead of Jesus. The lack of the second article tells us that Jesus is not the Father, He is a separate person.  
                  The word order tells us that Jesus has all the divine attributes of God the Father and not just any god. For example: if the word order were different and the word for God was subsequent to the Word, then it could be translated, “and the Word was a god”. If this were the case, then Jesus would be a god, but not the God, making Him subordinate to the Father, and not sharing the same divine attributes as the Father.
                  Martin Luther said it like this, “the lack of the article is against Sabellianism, the belief that the Trinity is not the One, same God; the word order is against Arianism, who deny the divinity of Jesus and maintain a gnostic perception that Jesus was created by the Father.
                  What a beautiful example of the Holy Spirit precisely organizing the words of the Bible in such a pristine fashion, giving us the understanding of the Trinity and the Oneness they share together.
 
Grace and peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ
Zack Rosiere

In the beginning, Ἐν ἀρχῇ. This is not the beginning of God, but rather the beginning of time, for He is the beginning, (Rev 1:8, Is 46:10) and the beginning came out of God.
The Bible gives us a few other references to the period before the creation of the world and the preeminence and supremacy of God, (Col 1:15-18, Eph 1:4, 2Tim 1:9, 1Peter 1:20). It is here at this point, I won’t say time, because time was not in existence yet, but at this moment, the Father commences His plan of the creation of His family. And He does not proceed alone, but with the Trinity, acting as One as we see this in the allusive Johannin Comma of 1st John 5.
1 John 5:7- For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
                  God wanted a family, and He started by creating the universe to house His family, but He didn’t create the universe alone. He, just like always, worked as One with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
                  Now God, who is outside of time, knew the sin that would come about in this world. He didn’t create sin, and evil did not come from Him, but through the creation of man, and the free will that man was given, sin entered the world, and death through sin, (Rom 5:12, 1Cor 15:21). It was not a surprise to God that man sinned, for God knows all things, so why did God create man this way if He knew it would result in sin? Man had to be created with a choice, a free will to love Him. The Father didn’t want a servant or a robot that was forced to love Him. He wanted a family that would lovingly choose Him. Therefore, the Father’s creation was far deeper than merely making the worlds, it included the plan of redemption for mankind, and He developed this through and in Jesus. All our hope, salvation, grace, mercy and spiritual blessings were pre-deposited in Jesus before the foundation of the world, (Eph 1:3), available to all who would choose to love and believe in Him.
                  All this and more was established before time began, given as a free gift through Christ to those who would accept the Father’s invitation into His family.
 
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Zack

​Recently I have been drawn, and intrigued, to study the events leading up to the Creation of the universe. God the Father, who has no beginning, and has always been forever in eternity past, decided to create His family in the beginning of what we know as the beginning of time. Now, this can get a little deep, but we must remember that time came out of God, therefore God is outside, and not bound by the dimension of time as we are. Instead of thinking of time in a linear fashion, we need to picture God outside of time, who can see all the events of time, past and present, at once. 

​So, let’s look at the first fourteen verses of the first chapter of the Gospel according to John. John starts his gospel quite differently than the other three. Matthew and Luke both start with Jesus’ physical heritage, Mark begins with John the Baptist, who was the predecessor of the Messiah, but the gospel of John begins literally in the beginning. Now this is the beginning of time as we know it, not the beginning of God, because God has no beginning. He said it Himself in Rev 1:8, which we just read above, He is the beginning, meaning the beginning came out of Him.

There is so much to talk about concerning these verses, but I want to focus on one specific Greek word, ἐγένετο, transliterated as egeneto. This appears seven times in these fourteen verses, and no, seven is not a coincidence. You will find that the Holy Spirit uses multiples of seven often.

​This word, ἐγένετο, from the lemma γίνομαι, ginomai, means to be born, to become, to be made, to exist. This word is implying the purpose behind the creation, or the manifested existence of His creation; a purposeful act of the Father to create His family. Galatians 4:4 uses the same word to describe Jesus being born of a woman, born under the law, however, it wasn't merely coincidence, but He was sent by the Father, organized and planned before time began. This sense of the Father through Jesus, thoughtfully planning the creation of His family, and then sending His Son into this very creation to be the Savior of the world, is what I believe John was conveying when he, through the influence of the Spirit, used γίνομαι seven times. 

What I find interesting is the Holy Spirit did not use the word created, κτίζω, ktizo, as in Eph 2:10, but instead used the existence of His creation, the created man manifested in physical form, which I believe is something much more personal. The Father created us in Christ Jesus, and through Jesus we were manifested into physical existence. As in Col 1:17, by Him all things consist. The Greek literally says, the all, meaning the all of everything that exists in this universe, is held together and stands together by Him and in Him and through Him. And also our text of John 1:3 says, all things were made through Him, and nothing was made that was made. Therefore, it is the physical existence of the Father's creation, through Jesus, that is the primary focus in these first fourteen verses of the first chapter of John. This was the beginning of His family, and the whole purpose of His creation, to have a family to love and in turn His family would love Him for all eternity. Therefore, in writing this account of creation and the events leading up to it, John, led of the Spirit, uses the word γίνομαι to express His creation.

Below are these fourteen verses in the Greek with the word ἐγένετο highlighted red. You will see that two of the words are spelled differently; in verse three it is spelled γέγονεν, and in verse twelve it is spelled γενέσθαι. These are the same exact word from the lemma γίνομαι. The Greek language just changes the beginning and ending of the word as the tense, mood, or voice changes. It is like us using the word run. We spell it differently based on how it is being used in a sentence. For example, you can say I will go for a run, or if it is past tense you would say, I ran, or if you were in the middle of the action you would say, I am running.
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There is also one more Greek word highlighted blue that uses γίνομαι as its root word. It is ἐγεννήθησαν, eganethesan, meaning to become the parent of. Again, giving us a much more personal understanding of God starting His family and His family accepting His free gift of grace and receiving His Son, in Whom all the riches of His grace and mercy reside.
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Below is a comparison of the Greek text because, although I believe the English is translated correctly, it doesn’t convey the importance of what the Holy Spirit is focusing on. For years, before I knew Greek, I always read these verses as His creation, but now I understand the true purpose of the Father- 

​These fourteen verses are packed with the riches of His grace and the exceeding greatness of His power and love toward us who believe. We will continue unpacking these verses next time.
 
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Zack

​My last blog post was all the way back on November 11th, 2016. They say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, the last year and a half has been a combination of fun and hard work, and the idleness of the website has not been from lack of study, but rather the opposite.
 
A couple years ago, I decided to study the sixteenth century reformation, in which the fruit of this study has changed my life. I have been inspired by the brave men who gave their lives for the Gospel, and through this study, have gained an understanding of our Christian heritage that will stay with me forever.

This understanding and knowledge that Paul speaks of is so we might have a relationship with our Father, who gave us the precious blood of His Son’s life so that He might have us... a family to live with for all eternity.
 
In Him
Zack Rosiere

Colossians 1:9–10
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

​Our life is full of decisions. Some decisions are thoughtfully planed out, but the majority of these decisions happen without us even realizing we are making them. For example: if you were going to buy a house, you would have the opportunity to pray, plan and organize your thoughts and come to a purposed decision based on careful planning, but those kinds of decisions are probably only 10% at best of our total lifelong decisions. The other 90% of all our other choices usually come automatically without us having the chance to come up with a plan before we make that decision. An example of this would be how you might react to a situation at work, or daily discussions you have with your wife and family; your reaction to someone that is rude while in the grocery store, and countless other decisions that we can’t even remember by the end of the day. These choices, however insignificant they may seem, will add up in a hurry and start to shape your life. Our decisions in this life are shaping this life and eternal life to come.

The first and most important decision a person can make is to choose Jesus as their Lord and Savior. This is step one to a life of living for Him. This act of choosing Jesus as your Lord and Savior will result in life everlasting with Him forever. There is nothing we can do to add to this righteousness, it is a free gift, one given by the grace of God to raise us up out of death and bring us into life with Him. We are reconciled into His family by the costly blood of Jesus that He spilled when He gave His life for us on the cross. At this moment, our spirit is born again into a perfect, sinless spirit that can never be infected by sin, covered and washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

The next step is our decision of what to do with this free gift of righteousness. God has given us this free gift so that we can be a family with Him. He wants us to enjoy life with Him. He wants us to participate in this awesome plan of redeeming mankind into His family and He has chosen us to help Him do this. His plan of building His family and bringing us together into One Body, created in Christ Jesus, has included us being His fellow workers. God has made us an integral part of His plan, the building of the Church, that cannot be completed unless we choose to participate and bring people to the Lord, Rom 10:14-15. God has chosen that His plan of reconciling His family would involve our participation in the Great Commission- “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”, Mk 16:15. This is now our decision. What level are you going to participate in the plan of God? After you believe in Jesus, are you satisfied with going back to your normal, worldly routine, or will you start to get to know Him and the plan He has for you? What are you going to do with this free gift of righteousness? Will you hide it under a basket so no one sees it? Or will you let your light shine before men so they will see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven? These decisions start to make a dramatic effect on your life on this earth and the life to come. God expects us and wants us to live for Him. This is why He sent His Son to die for us, He wants us to choose Him and participate in His plan together. He wants us to get to know Him, connect ourselves to Him and become one with Him. We can do that starting now in this life if we only choose Him. This goes back to the original statement that life is full of choices. We need to make the decision to start choosing Him in everything we do, whether big or small. This is a life long process and takes dedication and commitment to Him everyday to grow in Him. This process is called sanctification of the soul. It is a course of development to separate your soul from sin and regenerate your thinking to line up with the will of God. He wants our soul, our decision maker, to be in accordance with Him and to ultimately build up and edify the body of Christ. For more detail on the process of sanctifying the soul, see my sanctification of the soul blog, http://www.insightoftheking.com/blog/sanctification-of-the-soul.

As your soul is going thru the lifelong process of sanctification, your heart begins to turn from a cold heart of unbelief to a pliable, tender heart, full of faith and love. As your soul begins to transform, your thinking starts to change. Your mind is being renewed to the Wisdom, Understanding and True Knowledge of God. So now those automatic decisions that are made one hundred times a day without thinking are now being transformed into choosing God’s way instead of the selfish, fleshy, way of the world. The deeper and more saturated we are in Him, the more Truth, Wisdom and Understanding we start to gain in our soul. We can start to see the way God thinks and make decisions that please Him and build up the body of Christ. The Truth that is building in the soul then can be shared with others so they can experience the same joy in knowing Him.

​As the True Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding is being fabricated into the soul, we start to know and understand the things of God. To speak the Truth, Eph 4:15, or to lie not against the Truth, Jm 3:14, or to walk in Truth, Ps 86:11, 3Jn 1:4, does not just mean not to lie. It does include that but there is so much more to Truth than to just not to lie. The Truth is the fact that Jesus is the Son of God; that He was born in the flesh and lived a sinless life; He died on the cross according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures, 1Cor 15:3-4; this is Truth. Instead of thinking truth as “not lying”, try inserting the statement “Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ”. This even works with the 9th commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor”, now, insert Jesus into this, “you shall not speak falsely to a neighbor that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah”.

Truth is much more than just not lying; it is confessing Jesus as Lord. When Jesus told the Pharisees that the devil is a liar, He was saying that the devil does not stand and trust in the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. The Truth is not in him and he will never speak the Truth that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ.  John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 1 John 2:21–22 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

The Truth spoken and believed in the heart will justify the spirit. And as the Knowledge of Truth is embedded into the soul it begins to speak out and build and edify the Church, the body of Christ. Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
If you confess this Truth and believe it in your heart, you will be saved. This is called justification of the spirit, to be rendered righteous. But salvation of the spirit is just the beginning. Jesus said “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” This literally means He has always been and everything that has or will ever exist, whether spiritual or physical, came out of Him; and He will always be, in Him there is no end. He is eternal, eternally from the past and will be eternally in the future; so, because Jesus is the beginning and the end, and everything comes out of Him, and because He is Truth, Jn 1:14, 17, 14:6, then we can safely say that Truth began with Him and it will be complete in Him; the completed Truth, full of Wisdom and Knowledge, built together in the body of Christ, the fullness of Him that fills all in all, Eph 1:23, 4:13. This is the completion or perfection of the body of Christ. When salvation is finally complete and the adoption as sons has transformed our mortal bodies into our final glorified state, the redemption of our bodies, Rom 8:23, the body of Christ will have attained to the unity of faith, a mature man in the knowledge of the Son of God, Eph 4:13. The more we can attain to this knowledge in this life, the better we can equip the saints and build up the Church to be steadfast in the knowledge of Him so we are not shaken by every wind of doctrine or deceived by the trickery of the devil, Eph 4:14, Col 1:9-12. As the True Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding become a part and transform your soul, your natural thinking will start to transform itself according to the image of God.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—  John 3:21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”
God is seeking a people that desire to know Him. This is why He gave us a soul. Our soul is our decision maker and He want us to freely choose Him and more than just choose Him, but fellowship and become one with His people. John 4:23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

He wants us to know the Truth, thru the true Wisdom and Knowledge. John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  There is only one way to fellowship with the Father and come boldly to the throne of Grace and participate in the plan of God. It is thru Truth, John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

We have to make a decision to invite Truth into our soul. Once this decision is made, the Holy Spirit bears witness of that Truth with our spirit and starts to transform our soul. If you decide to know the Truth and allow the Truth to come into your soul, Jesus will open your heart and mind to the scriptures and enlighten your understanding of the Truth, Luke 24:45–47 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
 John 14:16–17  “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. The Spirit of Truth will guide you in all Truth. He is the key to disclosing all Wisdom and Knowledge to your soul. The Spirit never speaks of Himself, but is always bearing witness of the Truth, Jesus, the Son of God and the Christ. John 16:12–15 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. When the Truth is in us and He is the one leading and controlling our lives, the Spirit will speak to our soul about the Truth. He will transform our soul into the Wisdom and Knowledge of Him which will allow us to make every decision focused on the Truth. Jesus has equipped us with everything we need to work out His plan on the earth with joy. He has given us the Spirit of Truth and the Word of Truth to regenerate our soul and attain to all steadfastness and patience so that in the midst of tribulation and persecution in the plan of building up His Church, we will have unending joy, giving thanks to the Father who has allowed us to participate and share in this journey of the redemption of mankind, the reconciliation of His family. 1 John 5:6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  

John 17:13–26 “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Jesus has made Truth available to anyone who would ask and accept Him. It is our decision to allow Him into our life. He wants us to be fellow workers with Him and He expects hard work and diligence. This is a lifelong battle that literally takes place every time you make a decision. The question that you have to train your soul to ask before every decision is this “will this decision glorify God? Am I showing God that I value Him over everything else. Am I proving to Him that He is more important to me than anything else in the world?” Matthew 6:19–24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
 1 Timothy 2:3–4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
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The best way to show the worth of God and present yourself as a fellow worker with Him is to give Him the things of great value; namely time and money. These are two great resources that are only available for use in this world. They are not things we can take with us, but they are probably the two most important things in the world that people use to improve their life, usually for selfish gain. Money can increase your status in life; give you power and luxury for your flesh. It also is a way to sustain our human body with food and shelter. Time is another earthly commodity that is only valuable on this earth, but is just as equal if not a greater resource than money, because no matter how wealthy a person is, there is only a limited amount of time on this earth for every human being. What two better resources to use in order to show the worth of Jesus? The human body cannot function on this earth without these two resources. By giving them to God, you are proving and showing your complete trust and faith in Him to sustain your life. You have given Him complete control of your flesh and allowed Him to move in your life. So the next time you decide to sit down for two hours and watch television, instead, consider what could be done for God if you would invest those two hours into the kingdom of God. Whether it be giving Him the opportunity to teach you thru His word or equipping the body of Christ in fellowship with others. Let Him be in control of your life and your resources. Once you let go of these things that seem so precious to you, you will find that you are not losing anything at all, but instead are gaining an eternal Knowledge of the Creator of the universe. You are developing a relationship with God Almighty Himself and the results of this is compete satisfaction in Him; unending joy that can never be quenched, John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Even in persecution and tribulation you will rejoice because great is your reward in heaven. Hebrews 10:34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.
Matthew 5:11–12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Paul said it best in his letter to the Phillipians, Philippians 4:11–13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
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Walking in love is the best and only way to give up selfish ambition. Love is the only way to sanctify the soul, for out of love bears the fruit of the Spirit which results in sanctification. Romans 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. Treat others as more important than yourself. Let the love of God show thru in your life which will cut off the works and ambition of the flesh. Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 1 Peter 1:22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 1 John 3:16–19 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. 19 We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him.
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​Now that we have established Truth as being Jesus the Son of God and the Christ and that this Truth bears witness with our soul allowing us to start walking in the Spirit and in love, resulting in the sanctification of our soul, let us now speak on Wisdom and Knowledge.
As our soul is being sanctified, the Truth in love starts to make the soul pliable, tenderhearted, ready to do the Master’s work and increase the ability for the seed to be sown in a rich, fertile soil that can bear the fruit of the Spirit and increase in Wisdom and Knowledge. Ephesians 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 2 Timothy 2:21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

2 Chronicles 34:27 “Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words …, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the Lord.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

2 Peter 1:2–11 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
 
When the Truth of Jesus is established in the heart, the soul is enlightened, making the soul ready and able for the true knowledge, replacing the knowledge of the world and its selfish ambitions and making it ready for the work of the Father. Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 2 Timothy 1:9–10 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
 
The Truth of Jesus shines a light on the soul and awakens it to the knowledge of God. When you start to gain the knowledge of the plan of God, you realize how great a love the Father has for us. That He would send His Son to die for us so that we could be reconciled to Him. As your soul is enlightened to this astounding love, the love of God is established in your soul to perform His work. We are driven to please Him and to be a part of His plan, always looking to Jesus as our hope and forgetting the pleasures of this world because we know we have a better possession and a lasting one with Jesus. Hebrews 10:32–39 But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, 33 partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. 34 For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. 35 Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. 38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.  1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Hebrews 6:11–12 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:17–20 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
 
As enlightenment leads to the knowledge of God’s plan and the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts; this knowledge starts to bear understanding and insight into His kingdom. All these attributes start to work together in unison, building and strengthening the soul and uniting a fellowship and a personal relationship with the Father and Jesus. The soul continues to be sanctified, it increases in the knowledge of God. Spiritual Wisdom and understanding are building and fluently working to bring people into the body of Christ. The soul is continuing to increase in steadfastness and patience, the fruit of the spirit is thriving and plentiful in your life all working together to lead people to Jesus. The insight that your soul is gaining starts to shine so bright that the worth of Jesus is showing forth thru you that everyone can see.
John 1:9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
Matthew 5:14–16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Luke 11:33–36 “No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 “The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 “Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 36 “If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays.”
 
Daniel 12:3 “Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Daniel 12:10 “Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand.
 
 
Wisdom and Knowledge start to take place of the old, cold, unregenerate soul that is hard and unbelieving, full of the wisdom and knowledge of this fleshly world. It begins to be transformed into the Wisdom and Knowledge of God full of love and brotherly kindness; keeping the Truth in the forefront of our mind, the eye of the soul, and not forgetting the precious gift of Christ on the cross, the purification of our sins.

Our soul is a decision maker. It does not have a physical substance. It is the mind, will and emotions of the spirit. These decisions of the soul affect the productivity and fruitfulness of the spirit and while we are in our physical bodies, the result of the decisions of the soul, affect physical actions in the body. When the spirit is made righteous by the blood of Jesus, all sin is washed away and our spirit is made a new creation. The soul, however, is still infected by sin and must be separated and set apart to be made holy in the image of the new created spirit. This soul, infected by sin, only knows and understands the wisdom and knowledge of the world, but as our soul is sanctified thru love and the Truth allows our soul to be transformed into the Wisdom and Knowledge of God, our decision maker starts to change. We start making decisions that line up with God’s plan and will for our life. Our decisions, whether conscious or sub-conscious, are now being made from the True Wisdom and Knowledge that now resides in your soul; and the more Wisdom and Knowledge that is in your soul replaces the fleshly instincts of the unregenerate soul and your life starts to line up with the will of God and His plan of redemption for man, Lk 6:45.
This is a lifelong process that involves feeding your soul on the Word of Truth and attaining to the Knowledge of Him on a daily, consistent basis; reminding and seeing yourself the way God sees you lest you forget who you are, James 1:23–25 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. 2 Peter 1:9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
 
Living like this is foolish in the eyes of the world. It is living life against the grain, like rowing a boat up stream, against the current, 1Cor 1:18-31; but this is why He has given us Wisdom and Understanding. He has strengthened us with all power according to His glorious might for the attaining of steadfastness and patience; in order that we can joyously give thanks to the Father, Col 1:9-12. All these great things He has given to us in this life and for this life is so we can be equipped to be His fellow workers in the plan of redemption; to build up the body of Christ and bring His family together in the unity of Him.

We are given gifts for the equipping of the saints, Ephesians 4:11–24. To mend what is broken, Matt 4:21, restore in the spirit of gentleness, Gal 6:1, fully train, Lk 6:40, and complete what is lacking, 1Thes 3:10, to build up and prepare the body for Jesus, Heb 10:5.

In doing this you will have persecution; there will be people that hate you for being a Christian, but be of good cheer, Jesus has overcome the world!, Jn 16:33, Matt 5:11-12, Lk 12:32 Fight the good fight of faith, 1Tim 6:12,  and press on toward the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus, Phil 3:14, because God desires that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of Truth, 1Tim 2:4, that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. Anyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life with Him, Jn3:16-17.
 
Truth tells us that Jesus is the Christ, Knowledge gives us the experience of His work on the cross, and Wisdom gives us insight into the plan of God to make decisions for the future.

It is the Wisdom of God that established His plan of redemption before the foundations of the world. It is the Wisdom of God that is given to His prophets and teachers to proclaim the infallible Word of Truth.
Luke 11:49 “For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, Luke 21:15 for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
Acts 6:8–10 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
 
The soul is wisdom, understanding and knowledge. It is a decision maker that either has these attributes of the world or of God. The soul is the expression of the spirit. It is how the soul portrays and illustrates the things of the spirit outwardly . Jesus is the express image of the Father, Heb 1:3, Col 1:15. Jesus is also the Wisdom of God, 1Cor 1:24, 30, and the Word of God, Jn 1:1, 14, 1Jn 1:1. Jesus is the way for humans to relate and understand who the Father is, Jn 14:7-10. God is so big and so majestic and so magnificent that there is no way for the human soul to comprehend the Father. God desires fellowship with us, but how can man fellowship with someone he doesn’t understand or cannot comprehend? This is one of the reasons why Jesus became the express image of the Father, but in human form, so that humans would have a Way to comprehend the depth, and length, and height and breadth of the love of the Father, Eph 3:18-19. He is the Word of God that became flesh and dwelt among men. This was the manifestation of God’s Word and His glory in human form so that the truth and glory of God could be revealed to men. Origen (184AD – 253AD) had an excellent way of explaining this concept in his book on first principles-

Origen, De Principiis, 1.2.8- to show that the Son of God, who was in the form of God, divesting Himself (of His glory), makes it His object, by this very divesting of Himself, to demonstrate to us the fulness of His deity. For instance, suppose that there were a statue of so enormous a size as to fill the whole world, and which on that account could be seen by no one; and that another statue were formed altogether resembling it in the shape of the limbs, and in the features of the countenance, and in form and material, but without the same immensity of size, so that those who were unable to behold the one of enormous proportions, should, on seeing the latter, acknowledge that they had seen the former, because it preserved all the features of its limbs and countenance, and even the very form and material, so closely, as to be altogether undistinguishable from it; by some such similitude, the Son of God, divesting Himself of His equality with the Father, and showing to us the way to the knowledge of Him, is made the express image of His person: so that we, who were unable to look upon the glory of that marvellous light when placed in the greatness of His Godhead, may, by His being made to us brightness, obtain the means of beholding the divine light by looking upon the brightness. This comparison, of course, of statues, as belonging to material things, is employed for no other purpose than to show that the Son of God, though placed in the very insignificant form of a human body, in consequence of the resemblance of His works and power to the Father, showed that there was in Him an immense and invisible greatness, inasmuch as He said to His disciples, “He who sees Me, sees the Father also;” and, “I and the Father are one.” And to these belong also the similar expression, “The Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

 Jesus is the expression of God’s love for us. The Father does everything thru Jesus. Even the creation of the universe was done thru Him, Col 1:15-20, the Father spoke it, Gen 1, and Jesus brought it into manifestation, Gen 2. Every time we see God on the seen in the Old Testament, I believe it was actually Jesus performing the work for the Father: Moses and the burning bush, God with two angels communing with Abraham before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the captain of the army of God talking to Joshua before the battle of Jericho, these are just a few examples of Jesus functioning as God’s expression with man on the earth. And we, the body, do everything thru Him as well. He is the go between, the mediator, 1Tim 2:5, the advocate between us and the Father, 1Jn 2:1-2, our Hight Priest, Heb 2:17, Zech 6:13. Without Jesus we are nothing and it is thru Him that we can boldly approach the throne of Grace, Heb 4:14-16, and speak with the Father, Jn 16:23-24. Jesus is the connection, the Way between the Father and man.
Therefore, since the soul is the avenue in which the spirit and the body function, and it is the outward expression of the spirit, and everything the Father does is thru Jesus and all communication between the Father and man is accomplished thru His Son, the expression of the Father; there are some striking similarities of the function of a soul and the role of Jesus. I don’t think it can be said that Jesus is a type of the soul of the Father because Jesus is not the decision maker for the Father. This we know because Jesus only speaks and does what He hears the Father tell Him to do, Jn 5:19, 30, 8:26, 28, 12:49-50, 14:10; therefore, the Father still makes His own decisions, but Jesus is the expression of those decisions and He is the Wisdom of God, 1Cor 1:24, 30, that established His plan of redemption before the foundations of the world.
It is evident that the Father and Jesus are One, inseparable, connected and integral to each other. However, on the cross we see the Father forsake Jesus, Matt 27:46. He had to separate Himself from His Son because of the sin that had been laid on Him. This is unimaginable to think, not only what Jesus went thru, being separated from His Father, but how awful was it for the Father to be separated from His Son; and not only His Son, but His express image, His Wisdom, His extension and mediator to His creation that has always been before the foundation of the world. They had never been separated up until that moment and it wasn’t just for an instant, this separation lasted for three days until the Father called Jesus out of hell and raised Him from the dead, Acts 2:24, Rom 6:4, 8:11.

This is just how much the Father loves us; to be willing to separate a literal part of Himself in order to reconcile us with Him.

It is Wisdom that gives us insight into the plan of God to make decisions for the future. God has given us this Wisdom thru His Spirit to show us what God has prepared for those who love Him. It is the message of the Truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ, first revealed to the Apostle Paul and has now been revealed to us who love Him. It is this Wisdom, Jesus Christ Himself, that is now changing the nature of our soul into the Wisdom of God, giving us the mind of Christ. 1Corinthians 2:3–16 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
 
Ephesians 3:8–12 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.
It is the work of God thru His Son to give us the manifold Wisdom of God; and now this work is being manifested in us so we can show forth the glory of God; not only to those in the world, but to the principalities and powers in heavenly places. To make known the power and Wisdom of God and declare Jesus as Lord to all creation. The Church is the manifestation of the accomplished plan of the cross and it is thru the Church that the Wisdom of God is made evident.
Because our spirit has been made new by the blood of Jesus, we now have the capacity and the ability to change the soul and be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. By making the decision that Jesus is Lord of your life and that He died on the cross, and was buried, and rose again on the third day for our justification, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Rom 5:5. As we abide in Him and His word abides us, our soul starts to be renewed to the things of God.

We start to gain the knowledge of His love for us which motivates and excites our soul to walk in the way of His Spirit; to begin walking in love, bearing the fruit of love, resulting in the sanctification of the soul. As our soul is sanctified, our knowledge of His love for us grows in our hearts and the Wisdom of God starts to change our soul into making all our decisions for Him and thru Him. It is thru this power of the Holy Spirit that fills us with the knowledge of His will and the spiritual Wisdom to walk in a manner to show the worth of Jesus to all creation.

Ephesians 3:16–20 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, Colossians 1:9–12 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. Colossians 2:2–3 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
 
As the soul is changed into the Wisdom and Knowledge of God, it is now cooperating with the re-born spirit. Knowledge is gained of the work of Jesus on the cross, including His great love for us and the mystery of His plan of the redemption of man; Wisdom is increased to employ the Knowledge of God in an applicable way to build up and edify the body of Christ. Wisdom has the same attributes as love because God is love and His Son, who is Wisdom is one with the Father. Wisdom is not selfish; it is not meant for personal gain or selfish ambition. It is love, being pure and with righteous intents to increase the body of Christ and bring everyone into the knowledge of God.
Ephesians 1:7–9 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us.
In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him
James 3:13–18 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
 
Thus far, I have tried to explain the process of attaining to the Truth, Knowledge and Wisdom of Jesus Christ in order that we can be equipped and equip others to be built up in the body of Christ and participate in the magnificent plan of God, namely the redemption of mankind and the reconciliation to the Father. This process is our responsibility. God has given us the right to choose whether we will live this earthly life for Him and with Him.
Salvation begins with Jesus and it is complete in Jesus and it is the Truth that carries us thru this process. Salvation, σωτηρία, soteria, is deliverance, preservation, safety and wholeness. The common use of this word refers to the justification of the spirit; the free gift of righteousness that Jesus so graciously bestowed on all those that believe in Him, but this is really just the first of three parts of soteria. Righteousness isn’t the end of salvation, it is just the beginning. Jesus has given us this free gift not to hide it away and wait for the Master’s return, but to invest it into the lives of others; bringing many more into the Truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus describes this perfectly in the parable of the ten minas. The Master, Jesus, gave a free gift of the same value to each of his servants, this can be compared to the free gift of righteousness. The Master told them, do business, trade, exert yourself with this gift I have given you until I come back. The Master, Jesus, went away to receive the kingdom for Himself from the Father; the Father highly exalted Him and gave Him the Name that is above every name. This is Jesus receiving the kingdom for Himself and then we will return. He is expecting us to have done something with the free gift He bestowed on us. Notice in the parable, those that invested the gift and yielded a return were congratulated and given rewards based on their faithfulness. This is what Jesus expects from us. He wants us to use this free gift of righteousness and bring others into His kingdom. When Jesus returns, He is expecting results.
Luke 19:12–26 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’ 14 “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. 16 “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ 19 “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “He said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’ 24 “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’ 26 “I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

Salvation, soteria, as mentioned above, is divided into three parts:

1. Salvation of the spirit- justification of the spirit- this is the free gift of righteousness
   • We are washed clean by the blood of Jesus. The record of sin, past and future, that was counted against us was nailed to cross and paid for by the life of our Savior Jesus, Col 1:13-14, Eph 1:7, Col 1:20, 1Pet 1:18-19, 1Jn 1:7.
   • This step gives us entrance into eternal life with Jesus. To be able to come boldly to the throne of Grace and have fellowship with the Father.
   • This is only available by the blood of Jesus and our faith in Him. Our works cannot add anything to the righteousness of our spirit.
2. Salvation of the soul- sanctification of the soul
   • This is the means in which we can invest the free gift of righteousness for the Master. We can participate in His plan of redemption for man by being built up in the Wisdom and Knowledge of Him; bringing others into the kingdom and equipping the body of Christ in Truth.
   • By walking in the Spirit, you walk in love. This bears the fruit of the Spirit which results in sanctification of the soul, Rom 6:22, and enables us to equip the saints in Truth.
3. Salvation of the body- glorification of the body
   • The final process that completes salvation is the adoption as sons, the redemption of our body, Rom 8:23. We become one with Jesus as His body in a glorified state; being built up as the Holy Temple of God as living stones, set on the foundation, the chief cornerstone, Jesus Christ, 1Peter 2:4-5.
   • We each have our own resurrected, spiritual bodies, glorified in Him and made complete in Him. This is the fullness and the completed stage of salvation; the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, Eph 4:13, 2Cor 5:1-5.

Be strengthened by these words. Press on toward the goal for the prize of the high call of God. Increase in the Truth and Knowledge and Wisdom of Him to be fellow workers with Him performing and participating in His glorious plan of redemption.
 
Revelation 19:7–9
7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Romans 6:22
But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

​Sanctification- ἁγιάζω, hagiazo- to set apart and remove from common use, to make holy, dedicate.
There are two types of sanctification. There is the sanctification of the spirit and the sanctification of the soul.

1. Sanctification of the spirit is only done by the grace of God thru the blood of Jesus and His work on the cross, 1Cor  6:11, 1:2, Acts 26:18, Heb 10:10, 29, 13:12.
2. Sanctification of the soul is our responsibility thru the Holy Spirit. Only a born again believer can sanctify his soul thru the work of the Holy Spirit, 1Pet 3:15, 1Tim 4:5, 2Tim 2:21, Gal 5:16.

The process of controlling your flesh, setting it apart from sin and directing it in the way of the Lord is called sanctification of the soul. Once our spirit is sanctified by the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, Rom 8:16; this is only done by the blood of Jesus and His work on the cross. We cannot in any way add to this work performed on the cross. Jesus justified us and made us righteous. He gave us a new spirit and a new life, Ezek 11:19. Only by Him have we been raised from death to life in Him. This is the free gift of grace, it is not of ourselves lest any man should boast, Eph 2:8-9. But this is just the beginning to everything God has in store for us.

He wants us to participate in His plan of redemption for man; one that He established before the foundation of the world and now that you have decided to make Jesus the Lord of your life, you can start to participate in something greater than anything this world can offer; abundant life with Him, full of unexplainable joy to the full, starting now and lasting for all eternity with Him.
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If you have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus, it is your responsibility to walk in the Spirit and resist the flesh. This starts by making a conscience decision to always choose Jesus in everything you do. Ask yourself before you make a decision, what choice will glorify the Father the most? 

Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven, Matt 5:16.

​Choose to walk in the Spirit and this will lead you away from the flesh and away from destruction, Gal 5:16. This is a daily process that separates your soul from the way of the world and all its sin and corruption and connects it with the way of the Lord and His Spirit. 

​James 1:21
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

​Sanctification is separating sin from your soul. When Jesus becomes the Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit enters into your spirit and makes it new. Your spirit, from this point, has been made new and re-born; a new creation in Christ Jesus, 2Cor 5:17, giving your soul the fuel and power to make every decision for Him.
The soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions. This is most commonly referred to in the Bible as our heart or our flesh. 

​but because our soul has not been redeemed, it still has a sin nature that is selfish and if left unchecked, it will take control. Even though your spirit may be born again and a new creation in Christ, if your soul is not in-line and controlled, it will rule your newly created spirit, James 3:2-18.
The Holy Spirit will not force itself on your soul and demand changes. God has given us free will and a choice how to live our life. This is the part of us that He loves so much because He wants us to choose Him because He knows if we choose Him and walk in His ways, our joy will be made full, Ps 16:11, Jn 15:11, 1Pet 1:8. 

​God created us with a soul to make decisions and choose for ourselves how we live our life because He knew that if we choose Him and if it is solely our decision, this is the fullness of life and the way to true eternal happiness.

Walk in the Spirit >> walk in love >> regard others as more important than yourself >> bear the fruit of the Spirit >> derive the benefit or profit of the Spirit >> this results in sanctification of the soul.

​From the point of the original sin, man’s spirit and soul have always been tainted and corrupted with sin. Even from the womb, the nature of the human spirit, soul and body is degenerated because of sin. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; this isn’t from our act of sin, although that contributes to it, the roots go far deeper. Through one man, Adam, sin entered into the world and death by sin, and so death spread to all men. For by the transgression of one, many died, therefore all men before there is even a chance of committing a sin, have all been contaminated with sin because of Adam’s original transgression. This is why Jesus had to be born from a virgin without the contaminated seed of man, but instead by the perfect seed of the Holy Spirit. There had never been a baby born without sin in the world until Jesus. 

Just as the transgression of one man brought death to all, the grace of God and the gift by the grace of one man Jesus Christ has brought life to many, Rom 5:17.

By accepting Jesus and His sacrifice for you, the blood of Jesus has now cleansed your spirit and washed it clean from sin. We are now made new and even if our soul commits an act of sin, the blood of Jesus has covered that sin and we are forever made righteous.

Our soul, however, has not been regenerated and must be renewed to behave and act as the new re-born spirit. There is enmity between the soul and the spirit and it will not end until the adoption of sons is complete, the redemption of our body. So while we exist on this earth, we must continue to separate our soul from sin and show the worth of Jesus and His sacrifice, the redemption of our spirit.
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The word soul, ψυχή, psyche, has a connection with the word ψύχω, psycho, meaning cold, to diminish greatly, to be extinguished

Matthew 24:12
“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.
 
Jeremiah 8:2
“They will spread them out to the sun, the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have gone after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried; they will be as dung on the face of the ground.

The Holy Spirit chose the word psyche to describe our souls because every human has a tainted soul that has grown cold and apart from God.

Even when we are born again, our souls are still cold and diminished, but thru the power and fire of the Holy Spirit, our soul can be separated from the world and be renewed and align itself with our re-born perfected spirit. This process is called sanctification of the soul.

Our soul is our intellect. It is how our spirit makes decisions. It brings life to our spirit just as when God created Adam and breathed the breath of life into him and he became a living soul or another translation says that he became another speaking spirit like God. The soul is what gives us the ability to speak and interact with others and even God. Our spirit can live without a body, but it can’t live without a soul. The soul is the wisdom of our spirit. It is the understanding, the knowledge that now has grown cold and apart from God because of sin. Our soul, still tainted with sin, understanding only earthly, worldly things. The wisdom, understanding and knowledge of an unregenerate soul only knows the things it can feel, touch and understand of this physical world. It has grown cold because of transgression and must be taught and renewed in the things of God. Our soul controls our mind, will and emotions. It is our decision maker and because it is tainted with sin, it must be renewed daily and kept in line to make right decisions. Our soul has cooled and needs to be renewed with wisdom and knowledge of Him.

The soul, the mind, will, and emotions of a born again man must be renewed to align itself and its actions with its reborn spirit. A cold soul will still choose the ways of this world over the things of God unless it is made alive and made into the Wisdom, Understanding and True Knowledge of Jesus Christ. As a soul is renewed, it is being shaped into the True Knowledge of Jesus. One must be born again and have the Holy Spirit living inside them to be able to renew his soul. The act of sanctifying the soul can only be done thru the Spirit. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust and desire of the flesh, Gal 5:16. The soul must be renewed to a new way of thinking Rom 10:2. 

This is walking in the Spirit:
Connect yourself with the Vine, abide in Jesus and let His word abide in you, walk in love and regard others more important than yourself, let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus- that He humbled Himself to the will of God and became obedient to death and gave His life for us, walk in love and bear the fruit of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit will result in the sanctification of your soul. 

This is why Paul was so adamant about gaining the wisdom and full knowledge of God; because as you attain the mind of Christ, you start making decisions the way God would. You are lead of the Spirit and not of the things of the world. This separates you from sin and keeps you from sinning. In fact, the desire and urge to live in sin will diminish and you will be completely satisfied in Him.
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The soul is a decision maker and the intellect of our spirit, so wisdom and knowledge and understanding is the essence of a soul. 

If this essence can be renewed to God’s essence, it can change the root of the soul.

So if the name of an unregenerate soul is called cold, what is the name for a renewed soul that is functioning in sync with the reborn spirit?  Is this the new name God promises that He will give us in the end? Is  62:2, Rev 2:17, 3:12 Instead of being called soul, psyche, cold and spread out or unregenerate, what will our new name be? Will it be Wisdom, True Knowledge, Understanding?
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The soul can only be sanctified and renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts, but we must first make a decision to allow Him in and make a conscious effort to abide by His direction. If we do this, the Holy Spirit will ignite a fire in us. He will bring our souls back to life, take us from being cold and greatly diminished to someone who is alive and full of wisdom and the true knowledge of Jesus.

Matthew 3:11
“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

​God sent His Son to pay the price for sin and become the final sacrifice in the reconciliation of God and man. Thru the blood of Jesus, we are given a new spirit, one that the Holy Spirit can reside in. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. With the Holy Spirit in us, He speaks to our soul, training us and showing us the True knowledge and Wisdom. This is the fire, the regenerative act that renews our soul and transforms the soul from a cold, spread out, lifeless, hard, stony and unbelieving heart into a heart of love; tender-hearted, pliable, believing, full of wisdom and knowledge, humbled to do the will of God. 

Ezekiel 11:19–20
19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

This Old Testament promise explains the new birth and the sanctification of the soul. He says “I will put a new Spirit in them”, this is our re-born spirit given to us thru the grace of God by the blood of Jesus. This is the first step; you must be born again to allow the Holy Spirit into your life to help renew your soul. But pay special attention to the description of the new soul. He says “I will give them one heart”, not I will give them a new heart. Our soul isn’t replaced like our spirit is. Our soul is renewed. And it is not just renewed to each individual, but He says “I will give them one heart”. Our renewed soul is one mind, one Wisdom, one True Knowledge of Him, one with Him, one body, one new man, with access in one Spirit to the Father, Eph 2:13-18. This is the point of sanctification of the soul, to unite ourselves with Him and not the world; separate ourselves from sin and unify ourselves in Him so that we can be fellow workers with God in building up the body of Christ.

He continues by saying “I will take the heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh”. The word “take” means to remove or take off. God is promising to remove this cold, stony, hardness that has contaminated our soul and will bring the fire of the Holy Spirit in to renew and regenerate it.

In 1Thessalonians, Paul is describing a born again Christian and encouraging them that even though some of the fellow Christians had died, they will be reunited with them in the clouds with Jesus. But Paul goes on to explain how a Christian should be acting while he is alive on the earth as we have hope in Jesus’ return. All 22 verses below can be summed up in one statement, 

​Don’t quench this fire that God has given us to renew our soul. Live on fire for Him and don’t do anything that would put that fire out. Use this fire to build up one another in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:2–24
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 12 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. 14 We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit; 20 do not despise prophetic utterances. 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
 

As your soul is sanctified, you gain the knowledge of Him and His will.

The mystery and the true knowledge is revealed. As we love one another and gain knowledge, we perform our work, the will of God, in building the Church, the body of Christ, unified in love. This is the whole purpose of sanctifying your soul; to live apart from sin and this world and instead live in the truth of Jesus Christ. God wants His family and He wants a family that loves Him and lives for Him. His plan of redemption, to send His Son to be the Savior of all mankind, started before the foundation of the world; but the plan wasn’t just between the Father and Jesus, it included us. Many people look at Jesus dying on the cross as a tragedy; something that God was forced to do because man sinned; an afterthought or some reactionary measure as a result of Adam’s sin. That is wrong thinking and incorrect. The cross, as harsh and as bad as it may seem, was not a tragedy, but a complete success and it was fulfilled exactly the way God had planned it from before He created this world.

Before He created man, He knew man would sin, He knew He would have to send His only Son as a sacrifice and payment for sin. He knew that the cross was the only way to have a family.

This predetermined plan set forth by the foreknowledge of God was established and revealed thru His people on the earth. Everything that God did with man was setting up and fulfilling His plan of redemption for man. And to make this plan come to fruition, God chose men on this earth to carry out His plan, piece by piece. Virtually every word of the Bible has to do with God’s plan to reconcile man. For the first four thousand years, God chose men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and the prophets, not to mention countless others, to bring Jesus into the world.
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And get this, He knew what each person was going to do and what decisions they would make before He even created them. 

His master plan that involved something as precious as the death of His Son, still includes us, and in fact, He would have it no other way. This is the love of God shown on us; that He would send His Son to die for us, but what is absolutely astounding is He wanted us involved every step of the way. I am sure that in God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom, He could have sent His Son to reconcile man and done it all between the three of them, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and left man completely out so it would “get done right”. I know I have done this with my own kids over something that I thought was important and I didn’t want a kid, or anything else, messing it up. That is just a selfish and wrong way of thinking, and that is exactly what God did not do. He, in fact, did the opposite, He purposely devised a plan that not only included us, but He made it that He couldn’t do it without us. That is how much He loves us and wants to be a part of our lives.

Up until recently, I was always under the impression that God needed to reconcile man so that He could have a relationship with us again. And that is true, because of Jesus and the reconciliation that He gave us, we can now call God our Father, but even up till that point, it was God’s pleasure to work with us and all our shortcomings and faults to accomplish His plan. God created this universe with the full intension that He would have to send His Son for our redemption and He wanted to do it with us. The only thing I can compare this to is when I have a project and, yes, if I did it myself it would go faster and even possibly easier, but if I did the same project with my son and taught him along the way and used that opportunity to spend time with him, the project would probably go twice as long, but the enjoyment and pleasure I would have during the process is more rewarding than even the completion of the project if I had done it by myself. This is what I believe God had in mind with us regarding His plan of redemption. He wants us to take part in the journey of this life with Him and all the steps involved to fulfill the plan of redemption and eventually spend eternity with Him. He is not just interested in the future with us, He wants us now. He wants us spending our time with Him and getting involved with His plan. Even though the cross is accomplished and reconciliation is now here, there is still a lot that still needs to take place to fulfill His plan, and we should be excited that we can be a part of it!

So now, with this thought in mind, let us look at a few scriptures in this new light.

Lk 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Do not fear, I will keep you safe. Your life in Me is redeemed from destruction and you will not perish, even the death of your physical body can’t separate you from Me; for it brings the Father good pleasure to give the kingdom, the inheritance of life with Him, to those who love Him and want to spend time with Him.

Jn 16:33  These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

In the world there will be tribulation, persecution, men will hate you because they hated Me, but rejoice, because great is your reward in heaven. This is My plan for you. I have overcome the world! Enjoy your time with Me, don’t pay attention to the world, there is nothing to fear;  let’s work on this plan that I have together, you and Me. We will have fun with it and will enjoy the time together. I’ll teach you the things I know, and I’ll train you in My ways. I love you and I want to spend My time with you.

 Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus came to this earth with a mission; to die on the cross and conquer sin and death. This was a major part of the plan of God, the central theme to the redemption of man and the climax of all the ages; and Jesus’ focus on the earth was to work with the Father, one on one to fulfill this plan. We need to have the same mindset that Jesus had. We are on this earth, and we should be excited to get involved with the plan of God. We should be asking, what can I do to be a part of Your plan? I give you my life as your servant in Christ to help fulfill Your plan. I want to know You, I want to spend time with you, I trust you with my life, even unto death, because I know You have overcome the world and I can be an overcomer just like You, and I have security in knowing that there is nothing that can separate me from Your love and even in death, I am an overcomer in Christ and will spend eternity with You.

Rev 12:11  "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

There is one glaring connection between these four verses that we have just read; connect yourself with God and even when faced with tribulation and persecution, even to the point of death, there is no reason to fear, because we will be spending eternity with Jesus and the struggles of this life is all part of the plan to be able to do that.

When you understand that there is nothing that surprises God; that even in tribulation, we can rejoice for great is our reward in heaven. Nothing can separate us from the love of God and even though we live in a fallen world that seams completely out of control, in fact it is in complete control and this is all part of God’s plan. So no matter what happens in this life, we can rejoice in the confidence we have in God and actually get excited to join with God in His plan, not for just the future, but for this life right now with Him. This is why Paul says:

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

No matter what happens in this life, God has equipped us to enjoy Him. He has given us all things to joyously give thanks to Him, Col 1:9-12, Heb 10:32-36, Eph 1:17-23.  It is this journey of life that the Father wants to experience with us. It pleases Him when we have faith in Him, putting our full trust and confidence in Him, knowing that we will be with Him forever, Heb 11:6, Jn 14:3, 21, 23.
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This is why there are rewards for living this life victoriously. As Christians, we all have eternal security with Him, and that is going to be so outstanding we can’t even comprehend it, but I want everything God has to offer, not from a selfish motive, but because it gives Him pleasure to reward those who are faithful. It gives me pleasure to serve Him and know Him and give Him all that I have, because God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. I want to be one with Him and I want everything He will give me, because the more I have from Him, the more I know Him, the more I can learn from Him, the more I can experience His goodness and be completely satisfied in Him. When you have this desire for God, your outlook on life changes; you no longer are driven by selfish motivation, but you are motivated by fulfilling the plan of God. You are now living life for Him and not for yourself. The pleasures of this life become meaningless while the pleasures of the Father are now the most important thing in your life.

Acts 1:23-25
23  So they put forward two men, (a)Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and (b)Matthias.
24  And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who (c)know the hearts of all men, (d)show which one of these two You have (e)chosen 25  to (f)occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to (g)his own place." 26  And they (h)drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles. 

​v.23 (a)  Joseph called Barsabbas- not much is known of this man. He was also called Justus. This could be the same Justus that Paul mentions in Col 4:11. But it is not certain.
Eusebius mentions him in Book 3, chapter 39, verse 9 as follows:
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And he tells another wonderful story of Justus, surnamed Barsabbas: that he drank a deadly poison, and yet, by the grace of the Lord, suffered no harm

v.23 (b)  Mathias-  a disciple of Jesus and stated by Hippolytus as one of the seventy that Jesus had sent out, Lk 10:1.
 
Both these men, Joseph and Matthias had met the criteria laid out by Peter. Many think that picking these men was premature and suggest that Paul should have been the twelfth apostle. I disagree for three reasons:

1. After the resurrection, Jesus taught the apostles and opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, Lk 24:45. He showed them the things written of Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms and how they must be fulfilled. Peter starts this speech with those exact words, “the Scripture had to be fulfilled”, Acts 1:16. Peter was not picking a replacement just because he thought it was a good idea. He was doing this because Jesus told him to. I believe he received the criteria from Jesus concerning how to go about picking the next apostle.
2. Paul did not meet the criteria. He was not a follower of Jesus while He was on this earth and he didn’t witness the resurrection as a believer.  Paul probably saw Jesus during His earthly ministry as He would come in and out of Jerusalem, 2Cor 5:16 alluded to this, but he was not a follower of Jesus until after the road to Damascus.
3. Paul was called to the Gentiles not the Jews, Acts 9:15, 22:21, Gal 1:15-16, even though he very much wanted to bring the Jews to Jesus it was not his mission. The twelve apostles are specifically called to the Jews and will judge the twelve tribes of Israel, Matt 19:28, Rev 21:14. Since Paul was not called to the Jews, he could not be one to judge them in the end.

 
v.24 (c)  know the hearts- καρδιογνῶστα, kardiognosta- knower of hearts; from the root word, γινώσκω, ginosko- to know intimately.
God alone knows the heart of all men, this is why He is the only one who can judge and condemn to eternal damnation. The apostles had a criteria and a command to pick a replacement for Judas. This plan was issued by Jesus and implemented by Peter. The ultimate decision was given to God because He is the knower of hearts. He is able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb 4:12.
 
v.24 (d)  show- ἀνάδειξον, anadeixon, this word chosen is only used in one other place in the New Testament; Lk 10:1 when Jesus sent out the seventy. The English translation gives the impression to show or disclose, but the Greek word actually means to reveal by appointing. When Jesus sent out the seventy, He appointed them and sent them.
The apostles gave this decision to God. They said “You know the hearts of all men, reveal the man that you have chosen before the foundation of the world by appointing one of these two men that we have narrowed down according to your instruction”.
 
v.24 (e)  You have chosen- ἐξελέξω, exelexo- to choose or select. There are 22 uses of this word in the New Testament. The majority of the uses is about God choosing us. The other uses all have to do with men choosing other men for ministry and one use from Lk 14:7, a parable of guests picking their place at the table; signifying them choosing their spiritual status instead of letting God exalt them.
This word indicates a higher level of choosing, some choice of importance, a choice that results in spiritual and everlasting results.
To be chosen of God is to be a part of His plan. God has not chosen everyone for His good work; only those who have received His invitation; many are called but few are chosen, Matt 22:14, Eph 2:10, Phil 1:6, 2:13. God invited everyone into His family by sending His Son to die for the sins of whole world, Rom 5:8, Jn 1:29. The invitation went out, but only a few in comparison have accepted. Those who have accepted the invitation are those who have been chosen.
 
v.25 (f)  occupy- λαβεῖν , labein- receive, take hold of, aquire, take the place of.
Mathias would take the place of Judas; not just physically, but spiritually as well. He was to be one of the twelve apostles joined in ministry and apostleship for all eternity. This will be a title forever in his name, carved into the foundation of the walls of the new Jerusalem, Rev 21:14.
 
v.25 (g)  his own place- this wording has led people to think that Judas, being named the son of perdition by Jesus, Jn 17:12,  is in his own special place and could possibly be the anti-christ, 2Thes 2:3.
The phrase simply means “man doomed to destruction”. Two people have been given this title, Judas, Jn 17:12, and the anti-christ, 2Thes 2:3. This doesn’t mean that they have to be the same person. They are just two people that God has chosen to reveal their destiny; which in this case is eternal damnation.
Judas is in hell and destined for the lake of fire; not because he was predestined by God, but because he chose to deny Jesus and this choice is what predestined him to eternal damnation.
 
v.26 (h)  drew lots- this was an Old Testament practice of allowing God to control a decision. To us it seems like chance, but this was before Pentecost, before they had been endowed by the power of the Holy Spirit to show them things to come, Jn 16:13. They had received the Holy Spirit making them a new creation, Jn 20:22-23, but had not yet been filled with the power of the Spirit to lead and guide them into all Truth, Jn 16:13. The disciples could not be criticized for not relying on a source of power and discernment they had not yet received.
God’s hand was on this situation; they had just prayed and gave it to Him in the previous verse.
There are Old Testament examples of casting lots. Each candidate’s name is written on a stone, which is then placed in a container. The container is shaken and the name drawn out or the container turned upside down and the lot falls out, Josh 18:6, Prov 16:33.
In this age, because Pentecost has occurred and the power of the Holy Spirit is now living and residing in us, 1Cor 6:19, I do not suggest casting lots for getting answers from God. This is why He gave us the Holy Spirit. He will guide us into all truth if we listen to Him, Jn 16:13.  With that said, I still believe the choosing of Mathias was made by the hand of God because it was before Pentecost and a legitimate Old Testament practice approved by God without man’s influence.

Acts 1:21-22
21  "(a)Therefore it is (b)necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us— 22  beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must (c)become a witness with us of His resurrection."

​v.21 (a)  Therefore- because Judas was the betrayer and is no longer with us and because scripture must be fulfilled saying “let another man take his office”, Ps 109:8, and because Jesus said the twelve apostles would judge the twelve tribes of Israel, Matt 19:28, Rev 21:14, we must pick a replacement for Judas. It wasn’t because Judas physically died that they needed to replace him. It was because he was the betrayer and left his office of authority, never again to gain it back, even in the world to come.
 
v.21 (b)  three criteria for the replacement of Judas:

1. accompanied the other apostles
2. present at the baptism of Jesus by John, possibly one of John’s disciples just as Andrew

was, Jn 1:40

1. present at the resurrection and ascension of Jesus

 
v.22 (c)  become a witness- γενέσθαι μάρτυρα, genesthai martyra- this isn’t referring to witnessing the resurrection of Jesus. It means that whoever they pick, will become a martyr for Jesus. The word witness is the Greek word μάρτυς, martyra. We get the English word martyr from this. A martyr, in the original term, doesn’t necessarily mean someone who dies. To be a martyr means you are a witness to Christ; someone willing to let their light shine before men to give glory to the Father, Matt 5:16. But since being a witness for Jesus usually results in death, Matt 5:11-12, the word martyr came to mean someone who died for Christ. 

It is our responsibility as Christians to give glory to the Father and praise the name of Jesus. The best way for us to glorify God is to be so satisfied in Him that when people look at our lives, all they see is Jesus. Don’t let the things of this world and earthly desires be your satisfaction.
For one, the things of this world can’t even compare to the joy we have in Jesus, Rom 8:18, and two, God is not glorified when your desire is apart from Him.
We need to be Christ-like, Christian. When the world sees our good works, these actions give glory to the Father. Jesus said “if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”, Jn 14:9. We should take that example and show people who Jesus is through us. Can you say “if you have seen me, you have seen Jesus?” It sounds funny to say and I am by no means trying to say we can be Jesus, but our actions and our light can reflect who Jesus is. Jesus is the manifestation, the begotten of the Father, Jn 3:16, 1Jn 4:9. God is so magnificent and so awesome that there is no way for us to comprehend Him except we see Him thru Jesus. Jesus is the express image of the Father, the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature, Heb 1:3, Col 1:15, so that we can comprehend God’s glory.
The reason Jesus can say “if you have seen Me, you have the seen the Father”, is because He is one with Him; He in the Father and the Father in Him. Jesus didn’t do or say anything unless He first heard it from the Father, John 14:10-11, 24, 5:19,30, 8:26,28, 12:49-50. This is now the model we should have in our lives, to be like Christ. Everything we do or say should represent and give glory to the Father in the name of Jesus. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we become a new creation and our spirit becomes one with the Father, Jn 17:20-21, 2Cor 5:17-21, but it is our responsibility to show who the Father is thru our works. It is not the works that saves us, but the works is the representation of our salvation in Him.
1Peter 2:24 says Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Because our sins have been washed clean by the blood of Jesus and we have been made the righteousness of God in Him, we now have a duty to mortify the deeds of our flesh, die to the desire for self-glory, die to the desire for worldly respect and the fear of man, die to the desire for an easy life, die to the desire for earthly wealth and finally we must die to the desire to save our earthly lives, Rom 8:13, Matt 10:39, 16:25.

This is what being a witness to Jesus is. This is what we should strive for; to be someone so committed to Jesus; someone willing to give up everything we have; someone willing to testify of Jesus’ good work even unto death, Rev 12:11.

Acts 1:15-20
15  At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said, 16  "Brethren, the Scripture had to be (a)fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17  "For he was counted among us and received his (b)share in this ministry."
18  (Now (c)this man acquired a field with the (d)price of his wickedness, and (e)falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 19  And it became known to all who were living in Jerusalem; so that in their own language that field was called Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20  "For it is written in the book of Psalms, Ps 69:25 (f)'LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT'; and, Ps 109:8 (g)'LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE.' 

​v.16 (a)  the Scripture had to be fulfilled. It was not a mistake that Judas was picked as one of the twelve. In fact, it was according to plan; a plan that was established before the foundations of the world. This plan was set forth in Scripture because God does nothing unless He first reveals it to His prophets, Amos 3:7. God knows the end from the beginning and makes His plans accordingly, Rev 22:13, Is 46:9-10, Jer 1:12.
Judas was predestined as the betrayer and the son of perdition, Jn 6:70-71, 17:12. So does this mean that Judas never had free will? No, we all have the freedom of choice and free will and Judas too always had free will; but God, being outside of time, knew the choices Judas would make and therefore it was prophesied the things concerning Him.
Predestination does not mean we do not have free will. It is the fact that God knew every decision we will make, even before the foundation of the world, and has set up His plan in conjunction with us. So yes, we all have free will, God just knows the decisions we will make and set up His plan according to those decisions.
A question might be asked, how God, being sovereign, can be swayed by our decisions. Does this mean that we control God? No, God forbid, God is all powerful and all sovereign, and it was His choice to bind Himself and His plan to us. God loves us so much that He wanted to include us in His plan of redemption for man. He not only wants us to live with Him forever, but also now, while we are on this earth; in every decision and in all things, He wants to fulfill His plan of redemption with us.
It would have been much easier for Him to send His Son, as the Savior of mankind, to the earth, die and be resurrected and redeem mankind from sin and death without the help and involvement of man. But He didn’t want to do that. He wanted the enjoyment of spending time with us. Fulfilling the plan of redemption and including us in the process. This is His plan, established before the foundation of the world, and His plan includes us because He loves us so much.
 
Peter refers to three scriptures proving that Judas was not a mistake and was foretold as a necessary part of the plan that had to be fulfilled.

1. Ps 41:9
2. Ps 69:25
3. Ps 109:8

I think this is a topic that Jesus explained to the apostles after His resurrection; clarifying that this was a necessary part of the plan, Lk 24:44-45.
Not only are the three verses above a description of Judas in the Old Testament, but also the thirty pieces of silver , the betrayal and the potter’s field are all foretold in the scriptures as well, Jer 19:1-13, Zech 11:11-13
 
v.17 (b)  share- κλῆρον , kleron- lot, portion, asset
God established twelve tribes of Israel with twelve apostles to judge them in the next dispensation, Matt 19:28, Lk 22:30. This seat is the share that was attributed to Judas, but I don’t believe he ever obtained it. Judas was never a believer and will not enter into the kingdom of God. Therefore the seat was never his to begin with.
Death had nothing to do with the empty seat that had to be filled; if that were the case, all the seats would have needed filling eventually because all the apostles eventually died. The reason they needed to find a replacement and the reason it was foretold several hundred years prior, Ps 109:8, was because that seat was never filled from the beginning.
 
v.18 (c)  this man- the subject of this event is no doubt Judas, but the man who actually purchased the potter’s field was the high priest because Judas threw the money back at the Pharisees and was so ashamed at what he had done, went out and hung himself. Below is a compilation of that account from the gospels:

v.18 (d)  The price of his wickedness- This is referring to the thirty pieces of silver as a payment for the betrayal of Jesus. But Judas, feeling remorse and shame at what he had done, threw the money back at the Pharisees. The Pharisees then could not use this money in the treasury because it was blood money, so they bought the potter’s field, possibly in Judas’ name, as a burial place for strangers, Matt 27:3-10.
It is unclear exactly when Judas hung himself. He could have thrown the money back at the Pharisees and that same day hanged himself; or he could have waited and hung himself on the potter’s field. I tend to lean toward the latter argument because it says this land became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem as the Field of Blood, Acts 1:19. It was known by that name because this is the same field that Judas fell headlong and his intestines gushed out.
 
v.18 (e)  falling headlong- γενόμενος, genomenos.
Some say there is a contradiction with Judas’ death. Matthew states that Judas hung himself, while Peter states that Judas fell headlong and his intestines gushed out. I believe both statements are true. Judas hung himself from a tree and either the tree branch or the rope broke and he was hurled to his death.
Another conjecture I might add could be that the rope or the tree branch stayed in place, and something else broke. The Greek word genomenos, translated falling headlong, really means to undergo a change or development, to become something different. This might mean that he was decapitated by the rope and his body fell a long distance and burst open from the force of the impact. A gruesome thought, but that might explain the amount of blood that could warrant a name like Field of Blood.

v.20 (f)  Ps 69:25- Peter cites two passages  from the Old Testament, this one speaks of the removal of Judas from his place and position as apostle; the other regarding the filling of his vacant place by another.
Ps 69 is a prophetic message from the mouth of David about Jesus; verses 7-12 speak of the cloud of illegitimacy that hung over Mary and Jesus as a child born out of wed lock; verses 13-21 are a prophetic account of Jesus on the cross; verses 22-28, in which our text lies, speaks of the judgement of God on those that reject His Son Jesus. The Holy Spirit, thru Peter, tells us that this includes Judas; verse 25 was a prophetic message about the betrayer. God, in all His infinite wisdom and knowledge, explained the destruction of the betrayer, namely Judas Iscariot and all those who choose to reject the Messiah. These verses, 22-28, make it plain that Judas was not a Christian and is not recorded in the Book of Life.
 
v.20 (g)  Ps 109:8- This Psalm is also prophetic of Jesus and the destruction of those that reject Him. Verses 6-8 specifically speak of Judas and explain that another must take his office-  ἐπισκοπὴν, episkopen- position of authority and supervision.
 
These two prophetic Psalms, among hundreds of others, prove Amos 3:7- the Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secret council to His servants the prophets.
 
The Holy Spirit revealed thru Peter the destiny of the betrayer and it was revealed in such a slight way that if Peter would not have quoted these verses, we may have never known that these texts were about Judas Iscariot.
​
Every word and every letter in the Bible is written on purpose and is part of God’s plan. Seek His word and know Him and He will give you insight.

Acts 1:14
These all with (a)one mind were (b)continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the (c)women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with (d)His brothers.

​v.14 (a)  one mind- ὁμοθυμαδὸν, homothymadon- a group of people all having the same agenda and purpose. This word is used eleven times in the new testament; ten of the eleven by Luke in the book of Acts.
Luke begins to show the mindset, the behaviorism, the mentality of these early Christians with words like one mind, continually devoting themselves, all things in common, fellowship (koinonia). 
Luke is describing the oneness of the body of Christ that Paul details in his epistles, Eph 4:1-5. 2:13-22.
 
(b)  continually devoting  themselves- προσκαρτεροῦντες, proskarterountes- attach oneself to, persist, be faithful; to walk in the Spirit constantly; always having communication with the Father in all things.
This one Greek word is translated by using three English words, “continually devoting themselves.” It is a present verb tense portraying an action with no assessment of the action’s completion. Thus the English word continually is used to describe that these Christians had started a good thing and more importantly, were continuing in it.
This is what Paul meant by praying without ceasing, 1Thes 5:17. Live in Him and abide in Him always.

​One of the facts of life is it is easy to start something but hard to finish it; whether that is starting a project around the house, starting a new diet, getting into a new hobby or endeavor. Whatever the case may be, it is always easier to start something than to follow it thru to completion. This is true with Christianity as well. This is why Paul says we must press on toward the goal of the prize of the high call of Christ Jesus, Phil 3:14. Paul is constantly comparing the walk of Christian life as a race; and unfortunately, some Christians never get off the starting blocks, 1Cor 9:24-27. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you will make in your life, but it shouldn’t stop there. Once you are reborn into God’s family, you are called a Christian, one that is like Christ. This should be our goal, our main motivation for life; to please Him in everything we do, honor Him by being like Him, know Him and learn His likes and dislikes. The only way to know this is to spend time with Him. Involve Him in everything you do and read His word because it is life unto all that find Him in it, Prov 4:20-22.
Once you start to do this, you will find yourself pulling away from the world and worldly things that used to mean so much to you, and now the most important thing in your life is Jesus. This is running the race of life as a Christian. A Christian should not “blend in”, but rather be a light to the world. We are to let our light shine before men that they will see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven, Matt 5:16, Phil 2:15. This is easy when your light leads them to Jesus, but there are those in the world who like the darkness and hate the light, Jn 3:19-21. Therefore they will hate you and revile you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you. So what should we do when this happens? Rejoice and be glad! For great is your reward in heaven, Matt 5:11-12.
There are plenty of Christians who never stand out and just blend into the world. They go along with their everyday lives, still doing the same thing as the world, and trying to fit Christianity into their busy lifestyles. This is a Christian who never gets off the starting blocks. In the end, if they believed that Jesus is their Lord and Savior, they will be with Jesus for all eternity, but they will have missed out on the true joy of life of getting to know Him and participating in His plan.

​This is what Paul is so urgent over. He is not scared of losing his salvation. So what does he mean when he says “I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified”, 1Cor 9:27. Disqualified from what? From salvation? Or what is meant when he says “in order that I may attain to the resurrection of the dead”, Phil 3:11? Is he scared of not being resurrected and spending eternity with Christ? God forbid. He knew his salvation was secure, but there is obviously something else that is driving him. What is this urgency about Paul that he must attain? It is the reward of knowing Jesus. He is constantly driven by the need to know Him and to gain Christ; to finish this race of life well that the Father would be glorified in him, Phil 1:9-10, 21, 3:8-14, Col 1:5, 9-11.
Paul knows that when we spend eternity with Jesus, we will not all be equal. The status of our future with Him depends on the decisions we make while on this earth. In 1Cor 9:27, the thing he did not want to be disqualified from was the imperishable crown given to the faithful; and In Phil 3:11. He had an unquenchable desire to attain the resurrection of the dead. This is the first resurrection John describes in Revelation 20:4-6, and he could be referring to the resurrection at the rapture, the catching away of the saints. Only those that are faithful will be taken up with Him. Paul did not want to miss that event and we should all strive like Paul to attain to this joyous life in Christ.
We are all a part of the body of Christ, but to be the bride of Christ is only reserved for those faithful to Him. This is also determined by our actions and decisions and our desire for Him on this earth. For more on this topic, see my study notes called “the Bride of Christ, and elect group of Christians” at: http://www.insightoftheking.com/the-bride-of-chirst.html
 
v.14 (c)  these are the women who supported Jesus in His ministry, Lk 8:1-3, 23:49, 24:1-11.
 
v.14 (d)  Finally, His half-brothers believe in Him. According to Mark 6:3, Jesus had four brothers born of Mary and Joseph; James, Judas, Joseph and Simon. Up until the resurrection, His brothers did not believe in Him, Jn 7:5. There was a strong tension of illegitimacy hanging over that family for 30+ years. Many people believed that Jesus was born out of wedlock; making Him the illegitimate son of Mary, Jn 8:41. His brothers despised Him and didn’t really understand Him until Jesus appeared to James, His brother, after the resurrection, 1Cor 15:7. This one encounter turns James into a believer and he becomes the leader of the Jerusalem church, Acts 12:17, 15:13, 21:18, Gal 1:19. He also writes an epistle of the New Testament, the book of James.
Judas is also converted and becomes an outstanding member and a representative of the Jerusalem church. He travels back with Paul to Antioch from the Jerusalem council meeting as a representative of the church, Acts 15:22. He, like James, also has an epistle in the New Testament, the book of Jude.
There is not much said about His two other brothers, Joseph and Simon, but the fact that they are in the upper room shows that they had a change of heart as well.

​1) the apostle’s teachings- this is the word of God spoken and inspired thru these men of God. Peter even says in his second epistle, “we have the prophetic word, made more sure”, 2Peter 1:19. This word of prophecy is the word of God that we hold today. It is more sure than God the Father speaking down from heaven or from any angel that might have a word from above. In any case, the word of God is final authority, and everything must be cross examined and scrutinized by the word of God.
2) fellowship- the act of sharing in the activities or privileges of an intimate group.
This is the Greek word koinonia. Used 19 times in the New Testament and only used in accordance with Christians in fellowship, sharing and having participation with each other. It is a special bond that we have in the body of Christ; so special, in fact that this word is also used for the same fellowship we have with Jesus, 1Cor 1:9.
We, as Christians, are the body of Christ; urged to be one with God and each other, Eph 4:1-16, Jn 17:20-23.
3)the breaking of bread- this is not necessarily the Lord’s Supper, but it can be a part of this fellowship. This Greek word is only used one other place in the Bible; it is used when Jesus broke bread with the disciples in Emmaus after the resurrection, Lk 24:35. It was at this point that their eyes were opened and the disciples realized it was Jesus.
4) prayer- communication to the Father in the name of Jesus. It is thru Jesus, our great High Priest, that we can now come boldly to the throne of grace, hold fast to our confession and find help in a time of need, Heb 4:16. This was the plan of reconciliation for man; that he would be redeemed from sin, able, thru the Son, to come talk and fellowship with God Almighty directly.